Lao PDR - Ethnic minorities - Pounding hemp yarn in a large wooden mortar to soften it in a Hmong village

After harvesting and the bark has been peeled off in long thin lengths, the hemp yarn is pounded in a large wooden mortar to soften it, Ban Long Kuang, Houaphan province, Lao PDR. Making hemp fabric is a long and laborious process; the end result is a strong durable cloth with qualities similar to linen which the Hmong women use to make their traditional clothing. In Lao PDR, hemp is now only cultivated in remote mountainous areas of the north.